Hi Nina,
Sorry to hear you're struggling to spend your miles. The Flying Club redemption seats are available on a number of our flights, but they will be harder to find on busier flights. So anytime over holidays such as Christmas, Easter, etc may prove more difficult. I'd always advise either checking our Flying Club website - http://virg.co/fc - or giving us a call to check availability. And if you can flexible on dates then this will help. As for Virgin America flights, we do not control how many redemption seats they have available, as this is down to them to decide. As said, I am sorry you are finding it difficult to redeem your miles. We do review the amount of redemption seats we release and will continue to do so on the back of our flight loads and member feedback.
Howard
Well, that was no help whatsoever!!
My Reply:
Howard: I always try to fly out of season. So I am obviously just the only person in the whole world who can never get a flight?? Dont think so. What it comes down to is that your inflexibility and lack of seats compared to other miles programs are astounding. The more people I tell about my problems with Virgin, the more "duh's" I get...
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Open Letter to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Dear Virgin Atlantic
3 years ago I was very exited to sign up for your miles program - I even signed up for the virgin amex card. I now have over 180,000 miles and yet I am unable to spend them!! I have tried to book from san francisco to london so many times I have lost count, calling 6 months ahead, calling 5 months ahead - all with no result. earlier this year you announced that we could now use our Atlantic miles on Virgin America. Wohoo I thought! I would finally be able to use all these miles!! But No!!! again you never have any seats available - ever!! my theory is that because I always travel with my family - there are 4 of us - you never have enough allocated seats available on a single flight, thereby eliminating anybody traveling with a family.
I feel like I have been defrauded by you! I am sitting on this mountain of miles that I am unable to spend. If I had saved miles with United this would be a non-issue - I would be able to book what I want when I want.
It is disgraceful that a company who prides themselves so highly on customer service can shit on their loyal costumers to this degree.
btw I am publishing this open communication to you, and any answer you might have, on the travel blog I happen to be a writer for; Im sure my readers will be very interested in hearing about your customer service.
Kind regards
Nina
Sunday, November 18, 2012
NYC THE BIG, DELICIOUS APPLE
As much as I love living where I do, I must admit that I am part city-girl. I love the noise, the dirt, the grit, the venues, the buildings, the shopping, the food and the multi-ethnicity that comes with a big city like London or New York. I am forever grateful for the years I lived in London and the experiences that came with it.
I am pretty sure my oldest daughter has inherited my love; when she was 3 she proclaimed that she wanted to live in Copenhagen and when 3 1/2 she was melting into London as if she had always lived there. I was therefore so exited to return to NYC - this time with my family in tow. My last trip to NYC consisted of Bloomingdales, Nieman Marcus, cute shops in The Village, Saks, soaking in the city life and food in between. Obviously, this was to be a very different trip; children (and husband) have limited patience for mama trying on shoes and my shopping budget is a tad bit smaller than it was before kids. This trip was all about making NYC fun and interesting for both kids and adults.
There are so many great things to see in New York and there are awesome things to do for kids of all ages. I am writing about our particular trip and stuff we saw and did. Therefore, you should by no means take this blogpost as the all-important must do list for kids in New York, but simply as a sample menu of the grand buffet that is the Big Apple.
Hotel
We stayed at the Affinia Dumont New York Hotel situated in East midtown, not far from the Empire State Building. We chose the hotel not just for the good location, but also for the very cheap upgrade to a Jr suite on the 30th floor. There were ample space for all 4 of us and we had a little kitchenette which is always a big bonus when traveling with kids. The biggest bonus though was the fabulous view of the Chrysler building. We could order decent room service breakfast which the Hotel would pick up from a nearby cafe, but to be honest, it was just as easy to go down to the cafe ourselves and they had much more variety there.
9/11 Memorial
We started our first day in NYC with something not so child friendly; the 9/11 Memorial. I booked tickets on their website www.911memorial.org and we went there first thing in the morning which meant the queues to get in were not too horrid and moving fairly quickly.
The Memorial is beautifully made, very somber and a place for reflection - and not necessarily the best place to bring two young children (note a lack of bathrooms). We decided to go however because of the loss we as a family have experienced in direct relation to 9/11 (we have lost several close friends in the wars) and it was particularly very important to my husband. It was a tough job explaining to my 4 year old what this place was and even tougher when tears started rolling down my cheeks! I explained that some very mean men flew their airplanes into two big towers, the two towers fell down and a lot of people died. I then explained that the memorial was there for us all to remember the people who died but also to remember to be good human beings and never be mean like the men who did this (very simplified, I know). All in all I am happy we went; it was a very moving experience and I ended up having a pretty deep conversation with my oldest daughter about good and evil - but if you go be prepared for the tough questions!
From the 9/11 Memorial we walked down to Battery Park for a little relaxation and to spot Lady Liberty. If we had had more time in NYC we would definitely have taken the ferry out to Ellis Island, but that will have to wait until the next time.
Next stop was Tribeca and The Village on the prowl for some lunch. We were astounded how child friendly these neighborhoods were; families everywhere, stroller parking outside the restaurants etc. We ended up eating at Cerde Rouge where I had a very delish lobster sandwich and a glass of Pinot. The kids had delicious, real food and to our great surprise; there was a guy in the back making balloons for the kids!
Times Square & Central Park
As the weather was beautiful, we decided to spend as much time outside as possible (especially as they promised rain the next day). We took the subway to Times Square where we wandered through the crowds and performers. We had our two-year old in the MacLaren and our 4 year old on Daddy's shoulders - not a place I would recommend having small children walking by themselves.
By latish afternoon we finally ended up in Central Park, had some Gelato from Grom Gelato (yum!) and strolled over to a playground in the park. The kids ran ferrel for a bit and we enjoyed the beautiful spring weather. We ended our Central Park adventure with an early evening carriage ride through the park, something I knew the kids would absolutely love and a very neat way to see the park - worth the $$ if you ask me (look them up on the internet www.centralpark.com for prices). And before I get heckled by animal lovers in defense of the poor horses: A lot has happened in NYC when it comes to carriage rides in later years. I am a life-time equestrian and believe me: 1) Nothing is more important to me than the welfare of horses and 2) I know my stuff and can recognize neglect of a horse very easily. Nowadays, there are regulations as to how long a horse can work, what temperature a horse can work under, how many feed & water breaks they need etc. The horses we saw were well taken care off, good physical condition, well shoed and clean. We chose a horse named Teddy. The driver was very nice and informative about the park and it was obvious he had a great relationship with Teddy; giving him a break half way through our trip and giving our children carrots to feed to Teddy.
We were a little unprepared for dinner and ended up walking around a bit to find a restaurant: not really recommended - especially if you want good food! research your restaurants and reserve a table. We had lady luck with us though and ended up at a quaint little italian place called Via Quadronno. Excellent italian food and wine and despite our childrens' fairly good behaviour they were very good at recognizing that we had two tired little girls and they expedited our food for us (they probably wanted to avoid a melt down - and they did!). They didnt have any high chair for us though - I never found out whether it was because they were all taken or whether they just didnt have any.
American Museum of Natural History
If you come to NYC with kids, in my view this is a must! It provides floor after floor of amazingness and it is such a visual and physical way for children to learn about history, evolution and of course the awesomeness of dinosaurs. My oldest is a huge dinosaur fan and we have read loads of dinosaur books where they explain how big they were by comparing them to busses etc, but I dont think she truly understood how enormous dinosaurs really were until she stood next to the skeletons.
We had lunch in a nearby restaurant called Isabella's; great food and despite its posh, crisp look was actually very child friendly with crayons for the kids (and way better food than at the museum). After lunch we walked back to the museum and finished up.
Tickets for the Natural History Museum starts at $19.00 for adults and $10.50 for children. You can then add access to special exhibitions or an IMAX show on top of that. We added a butterfly exhibit and an Animals that glow in the Dark exhibit on our tickets and it was well worth it. We did not do the IMAX film, firstly because we felt our children were a little too young, but also because there were already so much to see and absorb, we didn't feel the need to add a movie on top of that.
FAO Schwartz
No child's visit to NYC is complete without a trip to FAO Schwartz. Such a magical toy store and I have to admit: I was very positively surprised that they didnt really sell a load of what I like to refer to as "Plastic Fantastic" toys (also known as cheap crap from China). You can see that they are clearly very selective about what they sell in their stores; they had a lot of Schleich animals, Melissa & Doug toys, creative toys and of course their wonderful selection of stuffed animals. Beware of the candy section on the ground floor though - very big and very tempting...
The kids had a turn on the famous piano of course and got to sit down and draw and color at the coloring table and read stories in the book section - all great fun!
A Bucket of Love
Although very tempting, we ended up not going to Dillon's Candy Bar; Our kids dont really eat a lot of candy and we figured it would cause more problems than it was worth. Besides, we had other sweet plans: Serendipity III!!! World famous for their frozen hot chocolate and let me tell you; it is well deserved! We had a bucket size cup of pure love and it was 100% worth the sugar high kids. yum yum and more yum!
We ended the day at Katz's Delicatessen where we (of course) had giant, delicious sandwiches for dinner (As you have probably gathered by now: food was a giant part of this trip).
Empire State Building
On our last half day in NYC, we decided (despite my husband's fear of heights) to walk over to the Empire State Building and go all the way up. We visited first thing in the morning and largely avoided any queues (whilst our children are this young, we have decided that long queues are a deal breaker). We went all the way up to the top deck on the 102nd floor; a little pricey ($42 for adults $36 for children over 6 and free for children under 6) but what the hell - how often are you in NYC? The views where amazing and even my husband managed to kinda appreciate it.
Getting Around
We did a lot of walking in NYC, not just because the weather was great but also because its just the best way to really get a feel for the city. If you have young children, definitely bring a stroller/ Ergo. We also used the subway quite a bit; its easy, quick and I think you can really feel the energy of a city in a subway and I therefore quite enjoy them.
We did take a cab to the airport and had therefore brought blow-up booster seats for the kids and it worked really well. We did take one cap from the National History Museum to FAO Schwartz because it started to rain. And yes, we had a bad parent moment as the kids had no booster seats, but we all survived and the cab driver didn't blink an eye.
My biggest surprise about New York City was how child friendly it was. We didnt get any dirty looks because we brought kids into nice restaurants, in fact most were very accommodating of families (most nice restaurants though do expect your child to eat real food - not chicken nuggets). It was easy to find a family hotel room and there are just tons and tons of fun stuff for kids to do.
Sienna, my oldest, has of course already decided she is moving to NYC when she grows up, and she is already planning out her next visit, deciding what museums she wants to go to and what attractions we should visit.
Kids Books on New York:
Kathy Jacobsen: My New York
I am pretty sure my oldest daughter has inherited my love; when she was 3 she proclaimed that she wanted to live in Copenhagen and when 3 1/2 she was melting into London as if she had always lived there. I was therefore so exited to return to NYC - this time with my family in tow. My last trip to NYC consisted of Bloomingdales, Nieman Marcus, cute shops in The Village, Saks, soaking in the city life and food in between. Obviously, this was to be a very different trip; children (and husband) have limited patience for mama trying on shoes and my shopping budget is a tad bit smaller than it was before kids. This trip was all about making NYC fun and interesting for both kids and adults.
There are so many great things to see in New York and there are awesome things to do for kids of all ages. I am writing about our particular trip and stuff we saw and did. Therefore, you should by no means take this blogpost as the all-important must do list for kids in New York, but simply as a sample menu of the grand buffet that is the Big Apple.
Hotel
 |
| The fabulous view from our room |
9/11 Memorial
We started our first day in NYC with something not so child friendly; the 9/11 Memorial. I booked tickets on their website www.911memorial.org and we went there first thing in the morning which meant the queues to get in were not too horrid and moving fairly quickly.
The Memorial is beautifully made, very somber and a place for reflection - and not necessarily the best place to bring two young children (note a lack of bathrooms). We decided to go however because of the loss we as a family have experienced in direct relation to 9/11 (we have lost several close friends in the wars) and it was particularly very important to my husband. It was a tough job explaining to my 4 year old what this place was and even tougher when tears started rolling down my cheeks! I explained that some very mean men flew their airplanes into two big towers, the two towers fell down and a lot of people died. I then explained that the memorial was there for us all to remember the people who died but also to remember to be good human beings and never be mean like the men who did this (very simplified, I know). All in all I am happy we went; it was a very moving experience and I ended up having a pretty deep conversation with my oldest daughter about good and evil - but if you go be prepared for the tough questions!
From the 9/11 Memorial we walked down to Battery Park for a little relaxation and to spot Lady Liberty. If we had had more time in NYC we would definitely have taken the ferry out to Ellis Island, but that will have to wait until the next time.
Next stop was Tribeca and The Village on the prowl for some lunch. We were astounded how child friendly these neighborhoods were; families everywhere, stroller parking outside the restaurants etc. We ended up eating at Cerde Rouge where I had a very delish lobster sandwich and a glass of Pinot. The kids had delicious, real food and to our great surprise; there was a guy in the back making balloons for the kids!
Times Square & Central ParkAs the weather was beautiful, we decided to spend as much time outside as possible (especially as they promised rain the next day). We took the subway to Times Square where we wandered through the crowds and performers. We had our two-year old in the MacLaren and our 4 year old on Daddy's shoulders - not a place I would recommend having small children walking by themselves.
By latish afternoon we finally ended up in Central Park, had some Gelato from Grom Gelato (yum!) and strolled over to a playground in the park. The kids ran ferrel for a bit and we enjoyed the beautiful spring weather. We ended our Central Park adventure with an early evening carriage ride through the park, something I knew the kids would absolutely love and a very neat way to see the park - worth the $$ if you ask me (look them up on the internet www.centralpark.com for prices). And before I get heckled by animal lovers in defense of the poor horses: A lot has happened in NYC when it comes to carriage rides in later years. I am a life-time equestrian and believe me: 1) Nothing is more important to me than the welfare of horses and 2) I know my stuff and can recognize neglect of a horse very easily. Nowadays, there are regulations as to how long a horse can work, what temperature a horse can work under, how many feed & water breaks they need etc. The horses we saw were well taken care off, good physical condition, well shoed and clean. We chose a horse named Teddy. The driver was very nice and informative about the park and it was obvious he had a great relationship with Teddy; giving him a break half way through our trip and giving our children carrots to feed to Teddy.We were a little unprepared for dinner and ended up walking around a bit to find a restaurant: not really recommended - especially if you want good food! research your restaurants and reserve a table. We had lady luck with us though and ended up at a quaint little italian place called Via Quadronno. Excellent italian food and wine and despite our childrens' fairly good behaviour they were very good at recognizing that we had two tired little girls and they expedited our food for us (they probably wanted to avoid a melt down - and they did!). They didnt have any high chair for us though - I never found out whether it was because they were all taken or whether they just didnt have any.
American Museum of Natural HistoryIf you come to NYC with kids, in my view this is a must! It provides floor after floor of amazingness and it is such a visual and physical way for children to learn about history, evolution and of course the awesomeness of dinosaurs. My oldest is a huge dinosaur fan and we have read loads of dinosaur books where they explain how big they were by comparing them to busses etc, but I dont think she truly understood how enormous dinosaurs really were until she stood next to the skeletons.
We had lunch in a nearby restaurant called Isabella's; great food and despite its posh, crisp look was actually very child friendly with crayons for the kids (and way better food than at the museum). After lunch we walked back to the museum and finished up.
Tickets for the Natural History Museum starts at $19.00 for adults and $10.50 for children. You can then add access to special exhibitions or an IMAX show on top of that. We added a butterfly exhibit and an Animals that glow in the Dark exhibit on our tickets and it was well worth it. We did not do the IMAX film, firstly because we felt our children were a little too young, but also because there were already so much to see and absorb, we didn't feel the need to add a movie on top of that.
FAO Schwartz
No child's visit to NYC is complete without a trip to FAO Schwartz. Such a magical toy store and I have to admit: I was very positively surprised that they didnt really sell a load of what I like to refer to as "Plastic Fantastic" toys (also known as cheap crap from China). You can see that they are clearly very selective about what they sell in their stores; they had a lot of Schleich animals, Melissa & Doug toys, creative toys and of course their wonderful selection of stuffed animals. Beware of the candy section on the ground floor though - very big and very tempting...The kids had a turn on the famous piano of course and got to sit down and draw and color at the coloring table and read stories in the book section - all great fun!
 |
| Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity; A must for the sweet tooth |
A Bucket of Love
Although very tempting, we ended up not going to Dillon's Candy Bar; Our kids dont really eat a lot of candy and we figured it would cause more problems than it was worth. Besides, we had other sweet plans: Serendipity III!!! World famous for their frozen hot chocolate and let me tell you; it is well deserved! We had a bucket size cup of pure love and it was 100% worth the sugar high kids. yum yum and more yum!
We ended the day at Katz's Delicatessen where we (of course) had giant, delicious sandwiches for dinner (As you have probably gathered by now: food was a giant part of this trip).
Empire State Building
 |
| On top of Empire State Building |
To top off our awesome city break, I managed to sneak off to a vintage shop and bought a beautiful dress :D
Getting Around
We did a lot of walking in NYC, not just because the weather was great but also because its just the best way to really get a feel for the city. If you have young children, definitely bring a stroller/ Ergo. We also used the subway quite a bit; its easy, quick and I think you can really feel the energy of a city in a subway and I therefore quite enjoy them.
We did take a cab to the airport and had therefore brought blow-up booster seats for the kids and it worked really well. We did take one cap from the National History Museum to FAO Schwartz because it started to rain. And yes, we had a bad parent moment as the kids had no booster seats, but we all survived and the cab driver didn't blink an eye.
My biggest surprise about New York City was how child friendly it was. We didnt get any dirty looks because we brought kids into nice restaurants, in fact most were very accommodating of families (most nice restaurants though do expect your child to eat real food - not chicken nuggets). It was easy to find a family hotel room and there are just tons and tons of fun stuff for kids to do.
Kids Books on New York:
Kathy Jacobsen: My New York
Friday, August 24, 2012
The Great Camping Adventures of 2012
I must admit; I have never been into camping!
OK, so it probably had something to do with growing up in Denmark where all childhood experiences in a tent resulted in mild hypothermia (minus camping at the rock festivals of my youth for some reason... - but I will spare you those stories...).
I just never really saw the point! I mean, if you are in the middle of the jungle then yes, you sleep in a hammock because you dont want a giant hotel in the middle of the beautiful jungle. But I am ok with a lovely B & B in the California Hills...
However, this has changed since I had kids! Camping is so much fun for children (especially when it does not involve hypothermia) and just looking at their happy, dirty faces makes it totally worth it.
We had our first camping trip with kids last year in Samuel P Taylor State Park. It was a lot of fun but we also had a few problems:
We brought one big giant air mattress for all four of us and we got approximately 2 minutes of sleep. The kids were moving around all night, raccoons broke into our ice chests outside, and I had an irrational fear of my children being kidnapped by bears and mountain lions.
This year we came prepared! We had invested in some neat little kids' camping cots for the children (Amazon), individual Hello Kitty sleeping bags and we were aware (and prepared) for the surprisingly high intellect of raccoons (my irrational fear of my children being kidnapped by bears and mountain lions was and is still there).
This year we did two 2-night stints. First at Caspar Beach CA, a cute little campsite right by a beach which of course gives the whole family lots of fun things to do; from tide pools to abalone diving to paddle boarding.
Second leg was at Samuel P Taylor State Park; beautiful redwood forrest, a creek, lots of animals (including before mentioned raccoons and mountain lion) and great trails for walking, bicycling, scooting etc.
We went with close friends who have kids the same age as our eldest daughter, and I can highly recommend this (choose like-minded people though). It really took the parenting-in-an-unknown-place- pressure off, as the kids were constantly entertaining each other and parenting duties were shared all around. It also meant that we had some great after-hours adult time in the evening which included great conversations around the fireplace accompanied by red wine.
As with all travel, preparation was key in making these trips as easy and enjoyable as possible. For the Caspar Beach trip we kind of agreed upon what we were eating, but we all brought way too much food and random things we didnt really need.
Second time around, we decided that since we were three families we would share the meals i.e. one family was responsible for breakfasts, one for lunches etc. This worked great! when you are responsible for only one type of meal, you dont have to bring as many different things and there is no confusion as to who brings what.
The kids (and lets face it - grown-ups too) did of course make s'mores over the campfire, but it has also very quickly become a tradition that I make "snobroed" dough. this is a Danish campfire eat that is basically a very simple bread dough that you twist around the end of a stick (with optional hotdog) and bake it over the fire. Super fun for the kids and a great way to involve them in the making of the food.
One of the biggest issues for us and (I presume) most parents of young kids, is how to make them go to bed in the tent and the parents being able to go outside and have grown up time. We were a little worried - especially since we were camping with two of their peers, and we knew they were going to have more fun than they could probably handle.
I think what worked for us all was that 1) all parents were on the same page i.e. bedtime around 8ish and grown-up time afterwards, and 2) even though we were only camping for a couple of days, we quickly established a sort of routine for all the kids; they got to make their "snobroed", they had dinner, pajamas, s'mores, brush teeth and then goodnight story. My husband took the girls into the tent and read for them and then it was goodnight (just like home). After a little bit of messing around in the tents, the kids would fall asleep.
At the end of the day, they were exhausted and ready for sleep and it turned out that the thought of campsite bedtime was a lot more daunting than at actually was.
Camping should definitely be on everybody's "parent bucket list". whether you yourself is a camper is irrelevant; seeing how much fun your children are having and how many great nature lessons and experiences they take home with them makes it all worth it...... and of course there is always that glass of red wine in the evening...
If you are considering camping with your little ones for the first time, I recommend starting small; just a couple of days and not too far from where you live. If things are going horrifically, two days is something we can all survive, and if it is really that bad, its a short drive home..
Because of the success of these two little camping experiences, we are feeling brave, and are currently considering a 5 day trip to Yosemite next year!
SnoBroed Recipe:
1 lbs All purpose flour (plus a little for kneading)
1 packet of dry yeast
10 Oz water
1 tsp salt
Mix all the dry ingredients (I normally do this at home and put it in a ziplock bag and then mix in water at the campsite). Add water a little at a time until the dough is sticking together without sticking to your fingers. Knead thoroughly.
The dough is cut into 4-5 pieces and each piece is rolled into a sausage that you twist around your (bamboo) stick. You can also add a small hotdog and twist your bread around stick and dog. Remember to cover the end of the stick so it doesn't burn. Hold the stick over the campfire (not in the flames - better over the coals) until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when you knock on it.
You can experiment with the recipe and add for example whole wheat flour or herbs like oregano to the dough to make it more interesting.
enjoy
OK, so it probably had something to do with growing up in Denmark where all childhood experiences in a tent resulted in mild hypothermia (minus camping at the rock festivals of my youth for some reason... - but I will spare you those stories...).
I just never really saw the point! I mean, if you are in the middle of the jungle then yes, you sleep in a hammock because you dont want a giant hotel in the middle of the beautiful jungle. But I am ok with a lovely B & B in the California Hills...
However, this has changed since I had kids! Camping is so much fun for children (especially when it does not involve hypothermia) and just looking at their happy, dirty faces makes it totally worth it.
We had our first camping trip with kids last year in Samuel P Taylor State Park. It was a lot of fun but we also had a few problems:
We brought one big giant air mattress for all four of us and we got approximately 2 minutes of sleep. The kids were moving around all night, raccoons broke into our ice chests outside, and I had an irrational fear of my children being kidnapped by bears and mountain lions.
This year we came prepared! We had invested in some neat little kids' camping cots for the children (Amazon), individual Hello Kitty sleeping bags and we were aware (and prepared) for the surprisingly high intellect of raccoons (my irrational fear of my children being kidnapped by bears and mountain lions was and is still there).
This year we did two 2-night stints. First at Caspar Beach CA, a cute little campsite right by a beach which of course gives the whole family lots of fun things to do; from tide pools to abalone diving to paddle boarding.
Second leg was at Samuel P Taylor State Park; beautiful redwood forrest, a creek, lots of animals (including before mentioned raccoons and mountain lion) and great trails for walking, bicycling, scooting etc.
We went with close friends who have kids the same age as our eldest daughter, and I can highly recommend this (choose like-minded people though). It really took the parenting-in-an-unknown-place- pressure off, as the kids were constantly entertaining each other and parenting duties were shared all around. It also meant that we had some great after-hours adult time in the evening which included great conversations around the fireplace accompanied by red wine.
As with all travel, preparation was key in making these trips as easy and enjoyable as possible. For the Caspar Beach trip we kind of agreed upon what we were eating, but we all brought way too much food and random things we didnt really need.
Second time around, we decided that since we were three families we would share the meals i.e. one family was responsible for breakfasts, one for lunches etc. This worked great! when you are responsible for only one type of meal, you dont have to bring as many different things and there is no confusion as to who brings what.
The kids (and lets face it - grown-ups too) did of course make s'mores over the campfire, but it has also very quickly become a tradition that I make "snobroed" dough. this is a Danish campfire eat that is basically a very simple bread dough that you twist around the end of a stick (with optional hotdog) and bake it over the fire. Super fun for the kids and a great way to involve them in the making of the food.
One of the biggest issues for us and (I presume) most parents of young kids, is how to make them go to bed in the tent and the parents being able to go outside and have grown up time. We were a little worried - especially since we were camping with two of their peers, and we knew they were going to have more fun than they could probably handle.
I think what worked for us all was that 1) all parents were on the same page i.e. bedtime around 8ish and grown-up time afterwards, and 2) even though we were only camping for a couple of days, we quickly established a sort of routine for all the kids; they got to make their "snobroed", they had dinner, pajamas, s'mores, brush teeth and then goodnight story. My husband took the girls into the tent and read for them and then it was goodnight (just like home). After a little bit of messing around in the tents, the kids would fall asleep.
At the end of the day, they were exhausted and ready for sleep and it turned out that the thought of campsite bedtime was a lot more daunting than at actually was.
Camping should definitely be on everybody's "parent bucket list". whether you yourself is a camper is irrelevant; seeing how much fun your children are having and how many great nature lessons and experiences they take home with them makes it all worth it...... and of course there is always that glass of red wine in the evening...
If you are considering camping with your little ones for the first time, I recommend starting small; just a couple of days and not too far from where you live. If things are going horrifically, two days is something we can all survive, and if it is really that bad, its a short drive home..
Because of the success of these two little camping experiences, we are feeling brave, and are currently considering a 5 day trip to Yosemite next year!
SnoBroed Recipe:
1 lbs All purpose flour (plus a little for kneading)
1 packet of dry yeast
10 Oz water
1 tsp salt
Mix all the dry ingredients (I normally do this at home and put it in a ziplock bag and then mix in water at the campsite). Add water a little at a time until the dough is sticking together without sticking to your fingers. Knead thoroughly.
The dough is cut into 4-5 pieces and each piece is rolled into a sausage that you twist around your (bamboo) stick. You can also add a small hotdog and twist your bread around stick and dog. Remember to cover the end of the stick so it doesn't burn. Hold the stick over the campfire (not in the flames - better over the coals) until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when you knock on it.
You can experiment with the recipe and add for example whole wheat flour or herbs like oregano to the dough to make it more interesting.
enjoy
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
The Dreaded Plane Ride (Part 3)
Dealing with your own paranoia ... and mean people
Many people are put off traveling with small children by either the idea of their children behaving badly or bad past experience.
Family friends of ours had a nightmare plane ride to Maui when their son was about 3 years old; The boy got sick with diarrhea, pooped all over the place and they did not have a change of clothes (see part one!). From that one experience they have refused to get on an airplane with their now two kids for 5 years! I think in a situation like that you have to ask yourself; "Am I going to let one bad experience rule my life? and exactly what lesson am I teaching my children here?"
Personally I have experienced it all; poop, vomit, crying, screaming etc etc. Can it be frustrating? Hell yes! but it is only a plane ride. You are not stuck in these cramped seats forever - only for hours. My personal mantra is always; I went through 18 hours of labour - I can do a 15 hours plane ride. I always expect and prepare for the worst - then it tends to turn out better than expected.
Then there is a paranoia about other people; the people giving you evils when you walk down the aisle as if to say "how dare you bring a baby on board". Here is my advice on mentally dealing with these people (because that is all you have to do - these people rarely confronts you);
Of course, if you have a toddler or older child, prepare them for the flight. Talk to them for a couple of weeks about where you are going, what they should expect from the flight and what you expect from them. Maybe even give them the prospect of a little reward if they behave on the flight (such as a new toy) but remember to follow through - if they dont behave they dont get the prize.
If your toddler/ older child behaves badly dont be afraid to take the fight. Kids very quickly learn when and where they can get away with bad behavior because mom and dad dont want a public temper tantrum (especially not on an airplane). Remember; one arkward temper tantrum is better than 10!
every now and again you get that old (for some strange reason often French) lady who actually says something to you. My own personal Little Old French Lady Story happened on a flight from San Francisco to Paris. This was my first flight alone with my oldest daughter who at the time was about 9 months old. We were waiting for take off and Sienna therefore had to sit nicely with her seatbelt on for a relatively long time - something that did not really suit a baby that had just learnt to crawl. She was cranky, crying and squirming, when the lady sitting next to me finally said "well do something!!!" I wasnt embarrassed, but I felt really sad that someone could have so little compassion and be so mean to me - and to be honest the prospect of having so sit next to her for 11 hrs was about as alluring as having my toenails pulled out. My internal anger towards this woman came out in my sarcastic response: "Exactly what do you want me to do? Put a sock in her mouth? hit her? She is a baby and does not understand why she has to sit still on my lap, lady!!" Luckily, a member of the cabin crew saw what was happening, quickly found another seat for the lady and moved her. Afterwards the stewardess came over and asked if I was OK - super sweet.
If this scenario happened again I would call the cabin crew and say something along the lines of: "This lady has a real problem with babies and children, is there any possibility you can find her another seat? I fear her hate of babies will have a very negative effect on not just her enjoyment of the flight but also mine!" Its sarcastic enough to point out the ridiculessness of the situation whilst at the same time being polite.
Lastly, always remember: pay it forward! When you see a parent with a baby struggling on the airplane take the time to give them some positive encouragement. Say; "dont worry - they all do this sometimes" and "aarh he is cute even when he is mad". Or ask them if they need anything, offer them a snack for baby or a toy. Its easy to feel like the whole plane must hate you for your screaming baby and it feels so good when a stranger comes up to you and disproves that theory.
Many people are put off traveling with small children by either the idea of their children behaving badly or bad past experience.
Family friends of ours had a nightmare plane ride to Maui when their son was about 3 years old; The boy got sick with diarrhea, pooped all over the place and they did not have a change of clothes (see part one!). From that one experience they have refused to get on an airplane with their now two kids for 5 years! I think in a situation like that you have to ask yourself; "Am I going to let one bad experience rule my life? and exactly what lesson am I teaching my children here?"
Personally I have experienced it all; poop, vomit, crying, screaming etc etc. Can it be frustrating? Hell yes! but it is only a plane ride. You are not stuck in these cramped seats forever - only for hours. My personal mantra is always; I went through 18 hours of labour - I can do a 15 hours plane ride. I always expect and prepare for the worst - then it tends to turn out better than expected.
Then there is a paranoia about other people; the people giving you evils when you walk down the aisle as if to say "how dare you bring a baby on board". Here is my advice on mentally dealing with these people (because that is all you have to do - these people rarely confronts you);
- Remember 10 minutes after leaving the airport they have forgotten all about you and you have forgotten all about them. If you bringing a baby on board really was that horrific, Im sure they would hold a grudge for much longer and probably hunt you down.
- Unless you are flying to Cabo during spring break a very large portion of the passengers are parents themselves, and so even though they might be annoyed by your baby screaming, they also get it. They understand that sometimes babies scream and you cant do anything about it.
- .. and if they dont get it; boo to them!! You have a right to get on a flight with your baby and if they have a problem with it they need to either save their money and get a private jet or go on a roadtrip. It is not your job to please these people and lets face it: one day they will have their own child and karma will be upon them!
Of course, if you have a toddler or older child, prepare them for the flight. Talk to them for a couple of weeks about where you are going, what they should expect from the flight and what you expect from them. Maybe even give them the prospect of a little reward if they behave on the flight (such as a new toy) but remember to follow through - if they dont behave they dont get the prize.
If your toddler/ older child behaves badly dont be afraid to take the fight. Kids very quickly learn when and where they can get away with bad behavior because mom and dad dont want a public temper tantrum (especially not on an airplane). Remember; one arkward temper tantrum is better than 10!
every now and again you get that old (for some strange reason often French) lady who actually says something to you. My own personal Little Old French Lady Story happened on a flight from San Francisco to Paris. This was my first flight alone with my oldest daughter who at the time was about 9 months old. We were waiting for take off and Sienna therefore had to sit nicely with her seatbelt on for a relatively long time - something that did not really suit a baby that had just learnt to crawl. She was cranky, crying and squirming, when the lady sitting next to me finally said "well do something!!!" I wasnt embarrassed, but I felt really sad that someone could have so little compassion and be so mean to me - and to be honest the prospect of having so sit next to her for 11 hrs was about as alluring as having my toenails pulled out. My internal anger towards this woman came out in my sarcastic response: "Exactly what do you want me to do? Put a sock in her mouth? hit her? She is a baby and does not understand why she has to sit still on my lap, lady!!" Luckily, a member of the cabin crew saw what was happening, quickly found another seat for the lady and moved her. Afterwards the stewardess came over and asked if I was OK - super sweet.
If this scenario happened again I would call the cabin crew and say something along the lines of: "This lady has a real problem with babies and children, is there any possibility you can find her another seat? I fear her hate of babies will have a very negative effect on not just her enjoyment of the flight but also mine!" Its sarcastic enough to point out the ridiculessness of the situation whilst at the same time being polite.
Lastly, always remember: pay it forward! When you see a parent with a baby struggling on the airplane take the time to give them some positive encouragement. Say; "dont worry - they all do this sometimes" and "aarh he is cute even when he is mad". Or ask them if they need anything, offer them a snack for baby or a toy. Its easy to feel like the whole plane must hate you for your screaming baby and it feels so good when a stranger comes up to you and disproves that theory.
Monday, June 11, 2012
The Dreaded Plane Ride (Part Two): Baby on Lap, Car seats on the Plane & Isle Walking
....On from where we left off in Part One...
Lap Baby
If your baby is less than 24 months old you can choose to fly with him on your lap, thereby saving the expense of an extra seat. This is something I have taken full advantage of (always squeezing that last holiday in before my girls' second birthdays). The Airlines are always very accommodating in that they will place you next to an empty seat if there is one. I recommend checking in early (early bird gets the worm), always be super nice at the check-in counter, ask them if the flight is full and if not, can they place you next to an empty seat. Of course, if the flight is full, there is nothing they can do. I must say though, about 80% of flights I have taken with a baby on my lap, and basically every flight I have taken alone with the kids, I have had an empty seat next to me. Think about what days you are flying; mid week flights tend to be less full (unless you are traveling in holiday peak).
You can obviously not bring your car seat on board if baby is sitting in your lap, and it can be tough on a long haul flight (even more so if you are traveling alone), but for me personally it is not so bad that I cant survive a 11-15 hr flight and the $$ save is worth it.
Many airlines provide bassinets for your baby on long haul flights. Sizes and weight restrictions vary but on average it is about 6-9 months old and 20 lbs (I will do a future blog post where I will set out specifications for each airline). If you want a bassinet, call the airline as soon as you have reserved your tickets and ask if they have any available. The bassinets can only be put up in certain seats and they therefore only have a few available on each flight. An added bonus of getting that bassinet is seats with extra legroom :)
Car Seats
Many people bring their car seats with them on flights. My opinion has always been travel as light as possible, and I just dont want to drag a giant car seat around - and when travelling alone with two kids it becomes an impossibility. There is an urban legend that you have to have car seats on board when flying with toddlers but it is simply not true (I have certainly never been kicked off an airplane).
That being said, there are advantages to bringing a car seat on a flight. It is easier for most kids to fall asleep in a car seat and many kids accept more readily that they have to stay put when in their car seat.
Some people also feel there is a safety concern in case of turbulence (although most people do secure their babies with the seat belt provided, that links into your seat belt when flying with a baby on your lap).
You can buy a flight vest such Baby B'Air flight vest for baby (I myself have been very satisfied with this). I have experienced turbulence with a baby in my lap and I have never had an issue. They have had their travel vests on and I have had a firm grip around them (even if it has made them cranky), and I have (obviously) never felt my baby was unsafe.
If you do travel with a car seat, I recommend getting a car seat travel cart. It is basically wheels and a handle that you can place your car seat on and wheel it through the airport (with baby in). If you are checking your car seat in, it might be worth investing in a check-in car seat bag to protect the seat from dirt, peeing security dogs (dont ask) and keeping all the buckles and straps safely contained.
Many people bring their car seat so that they can use it in their rental car when they land. I have always just rented the carseat with the car (all major rental places have carseats for rent). There is always a section for carseats when you rent a car online.
Many people are wary of renting car seats because of fears that they are not up to par or dirty. I must say, I have never had a problem. I have rented car seats in New York, Dallas, England, Italy & Denmark (many times) and I have never had a problem apart from one time; I thought the car seat looked a bit tatty, complained and was given a brand new one immediately. They are normally professionally cleaned and you get them still wearing the plastic bag. That being said, If I was traveling to a third world country, I would probably not rent a car seat (in fact, I would probably not rent a car).
Isle-Walking
The first flight with baby I ever took, I did as I had always seen other parents do and patiently walked up and down the isle carrying my baby and, later when Sienna could walk, I would follow her up and down the isle as she was toddling around grabbing other people's snacks, tucking their sleeves and introducing herself. Up and down in a neverending game of human ping pong. The biggest problem was that once Sienna knew there was exiting stuff outside her seat that is where she wanted to be.
All. The. Time.
Even during take-off and landing!
Whilst pregnant with my second girl, my cousin (who is an around- the- world-travelling-jetsetter- always-going-somewhere mother of 3 boys) told me that she never let any of her kids leave their seat unless it was for the bathroom. I was dumbfounded at first unable to imagine how she managed to keep 3 boysterous children in their seats for a long haul flight to New Zealand.
I decided to put it to the test when Amalia was born. By then Sienna was old enough to be fully entertained by ipad and TV and old enough to understand a reasonable explanation as to why she had to sit in her seat. Amalia was allowed to crawl on us and be on the floor in front of the seats between my husband, Sienna and myself and that was it. And the results have been awesome!
Because she has never known anything else, she has fully accepted the limits of traveling on an airplane. She has basically been the easiest baby ever to travel with, happy to be in her designated space. The flight attendees very much prefer the children sitting in their seats for safety reasons (those food & drink trollys are heavy and they dont always see a little one toddling around).
I totally understand that if your baby is screaming her head off it might help walking around with her, but if avoidable, my recommendation is that you don't "isle-walk" - it makes for an easier, more comfortable flight.... for everybody.
Ok there is going to be Part Three to this....
next part will be about rude people and removing yourself from your own paranoia..
Lap Baby
If your baby is less than 24 months old you can choose to fly with him on your lap, thereby saving the expense of an extra seat. This is something I have taken full advantage of (always squeezing that last holiday in before my girls' second birthdays). The Airlines are always very accommodating in that they will place you next to an empty seat if there is one. I recommend checking in early (early bird gets the worm), always be super nice at the check-in counter, ask them if the flight is full and if not, can they place you next to an empty seat. Of course, if the flight is full, there is nothing they can do. I must say though, about 80% of flights I have taken with a baby on my lap, and basically every flight I have taken alone with the kids, I have had an empty seat next to me. Think about what days you are flying; mid week flights tend to be less full (unless you are traveling in holiday peak).
You can obviously not bring your car seat on board if baby is sitting in your lap, and it can be tough on a long haul flight (even more so if you are traveling alone), but for me personally it is not so bad that I cant survive a 11-15 hr flight and the $$ save is worth it.
Many airlines provide bassinets for your baby on long haul flights. Sizes and weight restrictions vary but on average it is about 6-9 months old and 20 lbs (I will do a future blog post where I will set out specifications for each airline). If you want a bassinet, call the airline as soon as you have reserved your tickets and ask if they have any available. The bassinets can only be put up in certain seats and they therefore only have a few available on each flight. An added bonus of getting that bassinet is seats with extra legroom :)
Car Seats
Many people bring their car seats with them on flights. My opinion has always been travel as light as possible, and I just dont want to drag a giant car seat around - and when travelling alone with two kids it becomes an impossibility. There is an urban legend that you have to have car seats on board when flying with toddlers but it is simply not true (I have certainly never been kicked off an airplane).
That being said, there are advantages to bringing a car seat on a flight. It is easier for most kids to fall asleep in a car seat and many kids accept more readily that they have to stay put when in their car seat.
Some people also feel there is a safety concern in case of turbulence (although most people do secure their babies with the seat belt provided, that links into your seat belt when flying with a baby on your lap).
You can buy a flight vest such Baby B'Air flight vest for baby (I myself have been very satisfied with this). I have experienced turbulence with a baby in my lap and I have never had an issue. They have had their travel vests on and I have had a firm grip around them (even if it has made them cranky), and I have (obviously) never felt my baby was unsafe.
If you do travel with a car seat, I recommend getting a car seat travel cart. It is basically wheels and a handle that you can place your car seat on and wheel it through the airport (with baby in). If you are checking your car seat in, it might be worth investing in a check-in car seat bag to protect the seat from dirt, peeing security dogs (dont ask) and keeping all the buckles and straps safely contained.
Many people bring their car seat so that they can use it in their rental car when they land. I have always just rented the carseat with the car (all major rental places have carseats for rent). There is always a section for carseats when you rent a car online.
Many people are wary of renting car seats because of fears that they are not up to par or dirty. I must say, I have never had a problem. I have rented car seats in New York, Dallas, England, Italy & Denmark (many times) and I have never had a problem apart from one time; I thought the car seat looked a bit tatty, complained and was given a brand new one immediately. They are normally professionally cleaned and you get them still wearing the plastic bag. That being said, If I was traveling to a third world country, I would probably not rent a car seat (in fact, I would probably not rent a car).
Isle-Walking
The first flight with baby I ever took, I did as I had always seen other parents do and patiently walked up and down the isle carrying my baby and, later when Sienna could walk, I would follow her up and down the isle as she was toddling around grabbing other people's snacks, tucking their sleeves and introducing herself. Up and down in a neverending game of human ping pong. The biggest problem was that once Sienna knew there was exiting stuff outside her seat that is where she wanted to be.
All. The. Time.
Even during take-off and landing!
Whilst pregnant with my second girl, my cousin (who is an around- the- world-travelling-jetsetter- always-going-somewhere mother of 3 boys) told me that she never let any of her kids leave their seat unless it was for the bathroom. I was dumbfounded at first unable to imagine how she managed to keep 3 boysterous children in their seats for a long haul flight to New Zealand.
I decided to put it to the test when Amalia was born. By then Sienna was old enough to be fully entertained by ipad and TV and old enough to understand a reasonable explanation as to why she had to sit in her seat. Amalia was allowed to crawl on us and be on the floor in front of the seats between my husband, Sienna and myself and that was it. And the results have been awesome!
Because she has never known anything else, she has fully accepted the limits of traveling on an airplane. She has basically been the easiest baby ever to travel with, happy to be in her designated space. The flight attendees very much prefer the children sitting in their seats for safety reasons (those food & drink trollys are heavy and they dont always see a little one toddling around).
I totally understand that if your baby is screaming her head off it might help walking around with her, but if avoidable, my recommendation is that you don't "isle-walk" - it makes for an easier, more comfortable flight.... for everybody.
Ok there is going to be Part Three to this....
next part will be about rude people and removing yourself from your own paranoia..
Friday, June 1, 2012
The Dreaded Plane Ride (Part One)
The prospect of even a short flight is often enough to send some parents running. B.K (before kids) we have all been on that flight where there is a kid screaming his head off for hours and hours and by the time we got off the plane, we had a vein popping out of our temple, and we thought it quite reasonable to mandatorily strap small children to the wings of the airplane. We desperately don't want to be the parents of THAT child on the flight (an unreasonable fear I will deal with in Part Two).
Personally, I never really had a choice not to fly with my kids. You see, I am from Denmark, my whole family lives in Denmark and so if I want my children to have any relationship with my family I have to make that lovely 15 hrs plane ride at least on a yearly basis - and most times alone. When put in situations like that, luckily my emergency coping mechanism kicks in, and I become an efficient organizing machine (I am very grateful for not being one of those people who panic...) and I have therefore over the years got my flying with babies/toddlers down to a science. In these next couple of blog posts I will share everything I have observed and learnt over the years. Of course, every child is different and what works for me might not necessarily work for you 100%, but there should be some gems to take note of for everybody.
What to Bring on the plane
When it comes to hand luggage, us parents have a tendency to overdo it. We would like pack up our whole house (certainly all baby stuff) and set it up in two economy seats on a United flight. I often see families in the airport logging around strollers, car seats, ergo, two suitcases full of toys and a Bumbo seat just in case (and that is of course after they checked in the pack'n play, the potty and the high chair).
The more you fly with kids, the more selective you become; you know what they need and you refuse to drag around anything they don't. Don't misunderstand me; I am still carrying a lot more hand luggage than I did when it was just me, but everything I take on board is something that is necessary.
Always bring a change of clothes for child(ren) and for you. You never know what kind of puking, spilling, diarrhea incident you might have (I have encountered them all) and there are few things worse than sitting on a plane for 5 hrs stinking of vomit/poop/milk.... for you and everybody else.
The obvious baby travel items such as wet wipes, diapers, pacifiers (if applicable). Think about the amount of diapers you would normally go through in the amount of time you are flying and then add at least 50% extra. Babies will often get upset stomach whilst flying and it is always nice to have a few extra diapers on you.
If on a long haul flight; Motrin or other fever reducant. You just never know when that tooth decides to come out (over half of Sienna's teeth came out during travel)
If child is old enough and have a tendency to get travel sickness; travel sickness medication (just in case).
Their own comforter/blanket. I know they can take up a lot of space and be a pain to carry around, but I have always done this. It is just to give them a little piece of home and i find it makes it easier for them to sleep strange places such as airplanes.
Toys: I don't bring a lot of toys, as I have discovered they don't really play with them anyway. I usually bring one book per child (either a favorite (small) book or a new one). A (small) stuffed animal if they have one they are particularly attached to (if not don't bother bringing one). and a little travel set of crayons and drawing paper. When they were babies, I would bring some kind of Baby Einstein toy such as the Cube that has a side with a mirror, one that makes crackling sounds etc.
Snacks: Always bring some snacks - on domestic flights they often serve nothing apart from a packet of pretzels and on long distance flights the meals are often not that appetizing and only served at certain times. I am personally not into my children snacking all day, but on a plane ride it is OK - it does get boring and I myself snack all the time when flying. If you have a small baby, bring snacks like peas, sweetcorn, blueberries etc. It will take them a while to eat and it is entertainment in a bowl for them. If you are breastfeeding and going on a long haul flight, I highly recommend pumping a bottle before leaving just to have extra. During flights with both my girls when they were babies, they were almost attached to my boob and, to put it crudely, I was sucked dry.
If you are bottle feeding, the flight attendees are always happy to help you with water etc. Remember; feeding your baby during take-off and landing is the easiest way to prevent earache.
You can walk through airport security with fluids for baby, just have it in a see-through bag, put them in their own tray through the x-ray machine and let the security officers know its for baby (they might ask you to taste any liquid).
When travelling with my 4-year old and 2-year old on a long haul flight, I normally bring snacks such as a couple of little sandwiches, apples, mini carrots, blueberries, raspberries, crackers, dried fruit etc NEVER candy, cake and other sugar loaded treats - for obvious reasons...
I always bring my trusty old MacLaren umbrella stroller. These strollers can take more abuse than an old Toyota pick-up and because it is still an umbrella stroller, you don't have to check it in until the gate. If I travel alone with two kids I normally bring the Ergo too. Then I have the youngest in the ergo when boarding the getting off the plane, and I have two hands for hand luggage, oldest child and comforters. Its is also nice to have the ergo if I have a long walk in the airport and Sienna gets tired and wants to sit in the stroller for a bit.
To Ipad or not to Ipad (or Iphone)
I admit it. when it comes to TV and Ipad on an airplane all rules are off! I am normally the TV/Ipad Nazi; my kids might get to watch one episode of Kipper or Dinosaur Train before bed if they have behaved all day and Ipad is a special treat.
But if watching a whole season of The Fraggles will keep my 4 year old happy and content on a long haul flight so be it. Flying is boring! I myself try to sneak in a movie or two when flying so why shouldn't they?
Sienna knows by now that flying means ipad time and she is always super exited. We make it very clear that she cannot play with the ipad during take-off and landing because otherwise the pilot will come in and tell her off. There is also a condition of general good behavior or the ipad will disappear (it has so far not been necessary to carry out that threat - she knows from day-to-day life that we mean it).
At the end of the day, you cannot expect a young child to sit in a seat for that long without some kind of entertainment and since there is no playground, limited floor space and I refuse to bring 120 books with me, I am afraid the choices are very few. Is it bribery? Yes indeed - and it works great!
Finally....
In Part Two I will deal with isle walking, ignoring rude people, your own paranoia, carseats on the plane (or not) and anything else that will occur to me as I write it...
Please feel free to add your own tips and experiences - the more the merrier!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Ok so here goes.... my first ever post in my first ever blog!! I figure I might as well write a little bit about the idea behind this blog:
My Husband and I have always loved traveling, in fact our relationship was kind of built around traveling, as we met in the middle of the Venezuelan jungle. We were both determined that having kids should not stop us from exploring this planet, in fact, we believe that us showing our two girls the world is one of the greatest gifts we can give them.
We often run into parents who look at us as if we are mildly insane for even thinking about flying around the world with two young kids and even more who say; "man, I wish I could, but the stress would kill me before we got there".
My routine answer is always "the thought of doing it is a lot worse than actually doing it - you just have to take that initial jump".
But of course there is more to it. We as mothers often find it hard to balance being a mom with being a wife, a lover, an explorer etc. We are so preoccupied with being a mother at all times that we almost feel like we are not allowed to have a good time, and if we go on holiday its ends up being about the kids and nothing else.
Over the last few years, my husband and I have gained a lot of experience in what it means to have balance in a holiday - to make certain compromises so that not just the kids, but also we as grown ups get to have a fantastic time.
Don't get me wrong, we are still very much a work in progress; it is only weeks ago, during a visit to Cape Cod, I dragged my exhausted children (and pregnant sister I might add) out to see the Kennedy Compound after a long day of whale watching ... in hindsight that could have been done another day when my children weren't falling asleep in the backseat ... and that is my biggest traveling-with-kids problem - editing my desire to explore the destination.
But each time we go, we learn something new and as our children grow we face new problems and challenges and this blog is to share all these little gems (and turds) that we pick up along the way.
Travel Mama is for people who want to try to achieve balance in traveling; a grown up holiday..... with kids. I will write about all the tips I learn during my travels and also write about place specifics (ex a great restaurant in New York or when the best time to visit that museum in Florence, Italy is).
But I dont want this blog to be just about me self-indulgently philosophizing about my travels, but a tool to help us all to make that holiday a dream holiday for all of us - grown ups and children. My ideal holiday might not be yours! I like to see as much as possible on a holiday, others want to sit on a beach, have cocktails and a foot massage (mmmm that does sound good though).
There are different problems and compromises to make with every type of holiday and I therefore highly encourage people commenting and leaving their own tips (even write me with a review or story of your own holiday and I will post it on the blog), and hopefully this can develop into great little travel-with-kids forum full of great tips and ideas.
... So there it was; my first ever post on my first ever blog..
My Husband and I have always loved traveling, in fact our relationship was kind of built around traveling, as we met in the middle of the Venezuelan jungle. We were both determined that having kids should not stop us from exploring this planet, in fact, we believe that us showing our two girls the world is one of the greatest gifts we can give them.
We often run into parents who look at us as if we are mildly insane for even thinking about flying around the world with two young kids and even more who say; "man, I wish I could, but the stress would kill me before we got there".
My routine answer is always "the thought of doing it is a lot worse than actually doing it - you just have to take that initial jump".
But of course there is more to it. We as mothers often find it hard to balance being a mom with being a wife, a lover, an explorer etc. We are so preoccupied with being a mother at all times that we almost feel like we are not allowed to have a good time, and if we go on holiday its ends up being about the kids and nothing else.
Over the last few years, my husband and I have gained a lot of experience in what it means to have balance in a holiday - to make certain compromises so that not just the kids, but also we as grown ups get to have a fantastic time.
Don't get me wrong, we are still very much a work in progress; it is only weeks ago, during a visit to Cape Cod, I dragged my exhausted children (and pregnant sister I might add) out to see the Kennedy Compound after a long day of whale watching ... in hindsight that could have been done another day when my children weren't falling asleep in the backseat ... and that is my biggest traveling-with-kids problem - editing my desire to explore the destination.
But each time we go, we learn something new and as our children grow we face new problems and challenges and this blog is to share all these little gems (and turds) that we pick up along the way.
Travel Mama is for people who want to try to achieve balance in traveling; a grown up holiday..... with kids. I will write about all the tips I learn during my travels and also write about place specifics (ex a great restaurant in New York or when the best time to visit that museum in Florence, Italy is).
But I dont want this blog to be just about me self-indulgently philosophizing about my travels, but a tool to help us all to make that holiday a dream holiday for all of us - grown ups and children. My ideal holiday might not be yours! I like to see as much as possible on a holiday, others want to sit on a beach, have cocktails and a foot massage (mmmm that does sound good though).
There are different problems and compromises to make with every type of holiday and I therefore highly encourage people commenting and leaving their own tips (even write me with a review or story of your own holiday and I will post it on the blog), and hopefully this can develop into great little travel-with-kids forum full of great tips and ideas.
... So there it was; my first ever post on my first ever blog..
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